


In the Window

by BlueRoanSky



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Abuse, Abusive John Winchester, Alternate Universe, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Child Abuse, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Is it supposed to be sarcastic?, John Winchester's A+ Parenting, M/M, Tags Are Hard, What does that tag even mean, definitely, everyone is human, maybe? - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-06
Updated: 2018-10-06
Packaged: 2019-07-25 19:49:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16204469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueRoanSky/pseuds/BlueRoanSky
Summary: It’s unintentional, at the beginning.Cas lives in a picturesque neighborhood—complete with cookie-cutter houses and manicured front lawns—so it’s not like seeing people walking around is unusual. But, he’s never seen this guy before.The guy keeps his head down as he walks, and from across the street, Cas can’t pick out all the details of his face. But, in the quick moment when the guy glances up, the dark bruise coloring his cheekbone is starkly visible.Cas watches him until he’s out of sight.





	In the Window

**Author's Note:**

> ...Well.
> 
> I'm doing the thing I told myself I _wasn't_ going to do, which is post yet _another_ unfinished, multi-chapter fic. Is it bad that both unfinished fics are in the same fandom...?
> 
> This one, at least, is planned out, but life and writer's block often get in the way, so. I hope I can finish this quickly. No promises, though. .-.
> 
> (My one legitimate reason for posting this first chapter is to see if anyone is interested. It's a weird concept, I think? So, I'm not sure how it'll be received.)
> 
> Anyway, thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy!

It’s unintentional, at the beginning. Cas isn’t normally awake this early in the morning. He’s enrolled in a home-study program, so he doesn’t attend a public high school. But, he couldn’t sleep, so he got up, which is how he ends up staring out his bedroom window when the guy walks past across the street.

Cas lives in a picturesque neighborhood—complete with cookie-cutter houses and manicured front lawns—so it’s not like seeing people walking around is unusual. But, he’s never seen this guy before, and judging by the black backpack slung over his shoulder, he’s close to Cas’ age. Maybe he even goes to the same high school as Gabriel—Cas’ older brother by two years.

The guy keeps his head down as he walks, and from across the street, Cas can’t pick out all the details of his face. But, in the quick moment when the guy glances up, the dark bruise coloring his cheekbone is starkly visible.

Cas watches him until he’s out of sight.

-

He spends the morning on his laptop. His schoolwork is easy, so it only takes him a few hours to complete, which leaves him the rest of the day to figure out what to do. He’s not supposed to leave the house—he doesn’t have anywhere to go even if he did—so he finishes the _Myths & Legends_ book that he started a couple days ago, practices his origami, and then ends up back in the chair in front of his window. He folds his arms on the wide windowsill and rests his chin on them, staring out at the quiet street.

He’s half-asleep with his eyelids drooping when movement flickers in his peripheral vision. He sits up straighter, gaze locking on the same guy from this morning. He looks the same (though Cas doesn’t know why he wouldn’t), but there’s a sluggishness to his steps now that wasn’t there earlier. His leather jacket is gone, too—probably stuffed into his backpack, once again slung over his shoulder—so he’s wearing only a long-sleeved, flannel shirt, a pair of dark jeans, and black boots.

He looks _good_ , Cas thinks before he can stop himself. He shakes his head at the stupid thought and rests his chin back on his arms as the guy walks up the driveway of a blue house a few houses down the street. When he disappears through the white front door, Cas sighs and closes his eyes again.

-

Five-thirty that evening brings the return of Cas’ uncle, Zachariah. His voice floats in from the living room as he greets Gabriel, who got home a little over an hour ago and has been watching TV ever since. Cas was sitting by his closed door, listening to what he could of whatever show was on, but he’s on his bed now with a new book about the Samurai Code.

The lack of familiar voices is the only warning he gets before his door creaks open to reveal his uncle. Zachariah smiles as he moves to sit on the bed near Cas’ feet. It’s an effort for Cas to not fold his legs underneath him.

“How was your day?” Zachariah asks.

Cas shrugs, carefully placing the book on his bedside table. “It was okay.”

Zachariah rests his hand on Cas’ ankle and squeezes—just shy of hard enough to hurt. “Is that all you have to say?”

Cas meets his eyes for only a second. “I finished my schoolwork in the morning,” he says. “I read the rest of my _Myths & Legends_ book. Practiced some origami. Spent some time in the quiet. Then, I started a new book.”

Zachariah turns to look at Cas’ desk, which is set in the corner of his room on the opposite side from his bed. The origami critters that Cas folded earlier are arranged neatly next to his closed laptop. “Sounds like a productive day,” Zachariah says as he turns back to Cas. His fingers rub circles into Cas’ ankle as his grip loosens. “I’ll have to get you more books soon, from the sound of it.”

“Can I—” Cas swallows, his throat tightening at the sudden dark look on his uncle’s face.

Zachariah’s tone is hard when he says, “Go on.”

Cas bites his lip. “I was wondering if I… If it would be okay if… If you would mind. Buying me a-another sketchbook?”

A wide smile spreads across Zachariah’s face. “Of course I can. Pencils, too, I imagine?”

Cas nods, releasing a shaky breath. “P-Please.”

Zachariah stands and puts large hand on the back of Cas’ head, fingers curling in his disheveled hair. He pulls Cas’ head forward and leans down to brush his lips against Cas’ forehead. “Anything for you, Castiel,” he murmurs. “I’ll pick them up tomorrow after work.”

“Thank you,” Cas whispers. 

Zachariah moves away. “Dinner will be on the table soon,” he says, pausing by the door. “Thirty minutes or so.”

Cas nods. “Okay.”

Zachariah smiles as he leaves.

It’s when the door clicks shut that Cas releases the shudder that was building beneath his skin. He pulls his knees up and presses his forehead against them, squeezing his eyes shut. He doesn’t move until dinner is ready.

~

The next morning, Cas wakes up earlier than usual so he can be at his window again when the guy passes. Cas watches the white front door of the blue house, so when it opens, he catches a glimpse of a tall, dark figure behind the guy. The door shuts loud enough for even Cas to hear, and the guy stares at it for a moment before he starts down the sidewalk. Cas doesn’t see any new bruises, but there’s a slight limp in the guy’s steps today.

Cas thinks back to the figure in the doorway.

It isn’t difficult to put two and two together.

-

Zachariah gets home late that evening, but he brings the promised sketchbook and pencils, as well as markers, charcoal, colored pencils, and other artistic tools. Cas spends dinner with Zachariah and Gabriel in quiet impatience, and once he’s cleaned the dishes and kitchen, he eagerly returns to his room.

With his door shut between him and the rest of the house, he lays on his stomach on his bed and opens the new sketchbook. The pages are thick and slightly-textured, and he relishes the feel of them for a moment before he selects one of the new pencils—a hard one, for thin, light lines. He breathes in the scent of new paper and graphite and then starts drawing.

An hour later, he has a detailed sketch of the guy from the first day that Cas saw him walking home. The finer details of the guy’s face are smudged, but Cas is proud of his ability to capture the guy’s lean form and withdrawn demeanor.

He tears the page from the sketchbook, folds it carefully, and slips it under his mattress. It’s not a good hiding place, but Zachariah doesn’t have any reason to think Cas is hiding anything, so it’s doubtful that he’ll look.

Closing the sketchbook, he sets it on his bedside table, flips his light off, and rolls over to sleep.

~

For the rest of the week, Cas wakes up early to watch the guy walk past. He pointedly doesn’t think about how creepy his behavior might be, and instead, he focuses on his growing concern for the guy’s well-being. He doesn’t always have a new bruise or a limp, but he doesn’t seem well, regardless.

When the weekend arrives and the guy doesn’t appear, Cas is disappointed, despite his expectation that this would happen. He stares at the blue house instead, watching for any movement from inside. He doesn’t see the guy, but he does get a better look at who Cas assumes is the guy’s father. Even from a few houses down, the man looks intimidating.

Cas worries about the guy the rest of the weekend.

~

Monday arrives at a glacial pace, and Cas gets up far earlier than he needs to. He peers through a gap in his lowered blinds as his uncle backs out of the driveway and heads off to work, and later, as Gabriel takes off on his own walk to school. He finally raises the blinds and settles in to wait.

And wait.

But the guy never walks past.

~

Tuesday comes and goes with no appearances from the guy. Cas spends more time looking out his window than he ever has before, and on Tuesday night, he falls asleep in his chair with his head pillowed on his arms. He wakes up in the morning with a sore neck and barely enough time to lower his blinds and slip under his covers before Zachariah peeks into the room.

He waits until his uncle and brother are gone before returning to his window.

When the white front door of the blue house opens and the guy steps out, Cas nearly falls out of his chair in his haste to get up. Before he can think too much about it, he slides his window open and yells, “Hey!”

The guy stops, swiveling on his heel.

“Over here, in the brown house,” Cas says, waving from behind the screen.

The guy’s gaze finally finds him, and though he’s frowning, he walks over, glancing around as though looking for some kind of danger. He stops a foot or so away from the window, hands shoved in his pockets. He’s dressed similar to before—jacket, flannel shirt, jeans—so hardly any skin is visible, but there are three bruises on his face alone. “Hi?” he says.

Cas’ mouth dries. “Um.” He bites his lip, resisting the urge to back away from the window. “I, uh.” He swallows with difficulty. “I’m Cas.”

The guy’s frown deepens, but he looks more confused than worried now. “Dean.” He waits, but when Cas doesn’t speak, he clears his throat. “Can I…help you?”

Cas’ words come out in a rush. “This might sound weird, but I’ve seen you walking by, and I got sort of used to seeing you, but it’s been four days, if you include the weekend days, which I do, so I just got concerned, and Iwantedtoaskifyou’reokay.”

Dean blinks. “You’ve…been watching me?”

Cas’ mouth opens, but nothing comes out. He finally manages to say, “Not…not in a c-creepy way.”

Dean raises an eyebrow. “Oh-kay.” He shifts his weight onto his heels. “Well, I’m fine. Had a cold. That’s all.” He turns. “I gotta get to school.”

“Did your cold also punch you?” Cas asks, and Dean stills. “Just. Your face. And this isn’t the first time you’ve had bruises.”

Dean’s eyes narrow, and he steps closer. “Look, whatever you think you know—”

“I don’t think it,” Cas says. “And I’m not gonna tell anyone…or anything. I just…was worried.”

Dean’s jaw tightens. “Stay out of my business,” he snaps, and before Cas can respond, Dean stalks away.

**Author's Note:**

>  _Myths & Legends_ is an actual book, edited by Jake Jackson. If you like mythology, check it out!


End file.
